Tread member



Y I'description taken in connection-With 'the ac-V n l l f TA secondsheetof rubber l8iis vulcanized LAKEWOOD, ovino,` AssIefNoRY "ro THHIO Y RuBisERveoMP-ANY, o1? CLEVELAND, onion,oom'omlcrrolv@orome v A TREAD MEMBVERl,"

v y Y Applieiautfi.on. fil'ellL-Tanuary f3; This inventioniirel'ates Jto tread memberslil-,of kand more particularly-toanovelformj of K 'construction forcomposite tread members., 114 to the "base, Vperforations'l5 may be'pro'.

vided! in the bottoin'portion 11,' a'ndduring object offthisi'nvention is to provide a composite treadmemberof durableandvpractical construction suitableior use vWherever an efficient form of treadmembei is required.Y l* Another objectof vthis inventionfis to pro-` Y vide a tread member which.. Will beyieldi'ng andspringy 'undertook g lmother objectof this invention is 'to provide a strongand durable treadmember which Will no-tioollect d'stfand moisture:

Other objectsv andadvantages' ofvthis invention will be apparent from ytheiollowing companying drawing, in 'vvhich -"V Y lmember' Fig. 1 is atop plan viev'v'y ofthe treadmei'.

ber ofmyinvention; I .f ,Y y, Fig. 2 is a bottom plan lveivv vof my4 tread Fig.. 3 iis a line of Figr2; and

- Fig. 4 is a' perspective-view. shovving ho'vvV Iadjacent tread membersjinaybe Colinefted together.

Y Referring4 aow-t0 the drawing in emilie VWill beseenthat my tread member is of composite vform, and in' the rvenflbodiment of -my invention hereindisclosed I pro-vide affinetallicbaselO to Whichclayers of material are this material is inherently-porous, and rubber vulcanized =to such a lsurface will clingv tightly..The base 10,`o`f mytreadmember,

maybe 'shaped by means vof dies, or in'any Y suitable Way, to .provideth'e shallow pan.-

vshaped form 'shovvnin this instance. It is not essential to my'invention ythat the metal baseibe panfshape'd, 'but I have found that a base which assumesv thisy shape may be conveniently employed..v This pan-shaped base preferably has a'ilat bottom portion 11 provided with an integral vertical side Wall 12. vThev side Wall 12 terminates 'ina laterally exi' tending, flat, marginal angel, of substanv tiallyuniform Width.. A sheet of rubber 14` conforms tothe shape ofV thel bottom portion perforations 20.

No. i

-BUDD 'BRoNsoiL V0L" thebasel-,f and isvulcanized thereto.'

As anV additional/- means of looking the' sheet the .vuloanizingl process rubber' rivets 16' will Ybe formed' from materiahwhichis vforcedV through the perforations.

felt composedfofma'tted jute ibersWith or I Without ajco'ar'se burlap backing vis very satf ri'als vvo'uld' serve equally. Well.

lockedtogether byfrubber'rivets- 19 which. are.

1 formedfintegralgwith the sheet in' thefvvulcanizing processV and extend through spaced Inmaking tread members y,accordingy to my felt byone operation.V -To accomplish 'th-isl:

. apply a layer of rubber upon the ybottonijporl- Y .tion ofthe, pan-shaped -metal/base, then I secured. Forrthis metallic base I prefer to pla-ce a layer of felt17 on thegrubber and ap- 4ply ano-ther layeiof vrubber'over thefeltand 'flange 13, aftergwhichl vulcanizeboth lay f isfactory, vbut'itis obvious that various,'. matef'v` 1' ft'olayer and themarginal portions of this sheetl overlieand are vulcanized to themar-j "gin'al flange 13.5% vIn additionto vthe vulcaniz- *Y 2 k fing of sheet 18 tothe flange 13,;these parts are' cross-sectionalview taken on` i inventio'nl preferfto-vulcanize the sheets of.

rubber to themetal base/and tothe'layer of ers of rubber at the same time. By this proc. ess the layers or `sheets: offrubber are vul-4 canized and lookedto the metal base, andat fthe same time are vulcanized to the layer of vfelt. Y l 'j Y u Y If desired the topjsheet of rubber may be provided with a suitable design or configuration,as indicated at A21, toimprove the ap- ,i

pearancefof the membe'rand to preventslipping. c Y h Due to the yielding p Characterisitic of thefk Vlayer of felt,a tread member constructed ac` cording to my invention will be yielding and c .springy when Walkedl upon. The rubber` sheets which are l "vulcanized to thelayer of' felt serve to hold the felt securely in place, and the top sheet protects the feltl from dust, moisture and the scufling of feet. The metal base'lO gives the tread member strength and rigidity, and the member may be supported at points along the marginal flange 13, or in any other convenient manner.

Y In Fig. l of the drawing I show a form of construction Which permits two or more of my tread members to be connected to form a floor surface. In this form of construction an edge of the tread member is provided With a hook 22 which receives the bead 23 of a complementary Jtread member. The hook 22 is preferably formed from an extension of the marginal flange 13of one tread member, While the bead QB'is preferably formed from an extension of the marginal flange 13 of the adjacent tread member. To prevent rattling at this connection, hook 22 may be rubber Vcovered as shown by extending the rubber sheet 18. The device which I have shown and described has been termed a tread member, but it will be understood and readily appreciated that this device is not limited in its application to use as a treadmember, but may be used fr various purposes. Y

lWhile I have shown and described the preferred form Whichthe metal base and tread member may assume, it should be Linder'- stood that the shape of the metal base .vill be governed by the shape of tread member desired for a definite purpose, and that my invention is in no Way limited to the particular vshape of tread member herein disclosed, but

is intended to include such forms as come Within the scope of the appended claims.

y Having thus described my invention, What I claim is: A

1. A device of the character described comprising a metallic base having a pan-like depression therein, cushioning material in said depression, and a layer of rubber attached to said cushioning material and to said base.

2. A composite tread unit of the character described comprising a layer of cushioning material having sheets of rubberattached to opposite sides thereof, a metallicV base adapted to support said layer, and meansfor attaching one of said sheets to said base.

3. A device of the character described comprising a metallic base having a depression and a marginal flange, yielding material in said depression, and a layer of rubber attached to said yielding materialand to said marginal flange. i 'Y 4l. A device of the character described coinprising a metallic base having a raised marginal portion, a sheet of rubber attached to said base, a second sheet of rubber attached to said marginal portion, and yielding material interposed between said sheets.: f

5, A device of the character described comprising a metallic plate, a sheet ofrubber vulcanized to said plate, a layer of .felt vulcanizedto said sheet of rubber, and, a second sheet of rubber, vulcanized to said layer of felt and to said plate. Y I

G. A. device ofthe character described coniprising a layer of fibrous material, a layer of rubber vulcanized to each side of said first mentioned layer, and a metallic base to Which said layers of rubber are attached. y

7. Flooring of the character described comprising metal members each having a depression therein and provided with interengaging marginal portions, cushioning material in the depression of said members, and sheets of rubber covering Vthe cushioning material and secured to the respective metal members. Y

8. Flooring of the character described comprising metal members eachl having a depression Jtherein and provided With cooperating marginal portions, cushioning material in the depressions of Vsaid members, and sheets of' rubber covering'the cushioning material and secured to the respective metal members, one of said sheetsl being extended between said cooperating marginal portions. vIn testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature. Y

BUDD BRONSON. 

